A newly released trailer for the show made the announcement on Sunday. The show will air every Saturday and Sunday on Geo Entertainment.

The judges for the show are actor Mehwish Hayat, comedian Tabish Hashmi, singer Ali Zafar and Usman Bashir of Shark Tank Pakistan.

Pixel Entertainment announced that it had signed a deal with global entertainment giant Fremantle to bring the world’s most successful reality show format, Got Talent, to the country for the very first time back in August.

The franchise, originally created by Simon Cowell and owned by Fremantle, has aired in more than 70 countries and even holds the Guinness World Record for the most successful reality TV format in history.

The show promises to be a wide-open platform, welcoming singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, acrobats, beatboxers and just about anyone who thinks they’ve got what it takes to wow an audience. Nationwide open auditions are set to kick off soon, giving performers from every corner of the country a shot at recognition. In February, a call was made for auditions for the show.

Pakistan’s Got Talent joins Rap Icon Pakistan, Masterchef Pakistan, Shark Tank Pakistan and Pakistan Idol as part of Pakistani entertainment’s push towards reality competition shows.

From June 25 to 28, ​Rome hosted “Vespa Roma 2026 – 80 Years ​of an Icon”, a four-day gathering centred on ⁠the city’s Foro Italico and the Stadio dei ​Marmi, which has been turned into a Vespa Village ​of exhibitions, races, parades and club events.

Launched in 1946 by Piaggio, the Vespa became a symbol of Italy’s rebirth after ​World War II: cheap enough for a battered ​country, stylish enough to seduce the world, and practical enough to ‌weave ⁠through the alleys of Naples, Milan and Rome.

It has since become one of Italy’s most recognisable design exports, appearing in films such as Roman Holiday with Peck ​and Hepburn, ​advertisements and ⁠holiday brochures.

Vespa has been in continuous production for 80 years, undergoing around 160 ​restyling updates and selling nearly 20 million ​units ⁠worldwide, including just over two million in the past decade.

Today, the scooter is sold in approximately 100 countries, ⁠mainly ​across Europe and Southeast Asia, and ​is manufactured in three production plants in Italy, Vietnam, and India.

What do actors do? Well, professionally speaking, they act. They bring stories to life by pretending to be someone they aren’t and sufficiently good ones can make you temporarily believe it’s all real.

Some people apparently din’t get the memo that this was temporary, because actor Anayah Shahid called out people watching her latest drama Zanjeerain for sending her hate over her role in the show.

In the show, her character Shirin is the head of the household staff of Sar Buland Khan (Danyal Zafar), a tribal chieftain. Over the last few episodes, it was revealed that she had tried to poison Sar Buland’s older brother Sherdil Khan (Ahsan Khan).

She does this at the behest of Sohrab (Reza Ali), Sar Buland’s cousin and right hand man who wants to usurp power by finishing off Sar Buland’s branch of the family.

In the last episode, Sohrab’s sister Bano discovers the plot, threatens to expose it and gets shot in the ensuing tussle with Sohrab. Shirin helps him cover his tracks.

Now while that’s the kind of twist that would make fans emotional — something Zanjeerain has made a name for (RIP Mudassir) — it surely has nothing to do with Shahid, who had to post a story explaining how acting works.

She addressed her message to “all the people cursing me, dragging me and writing passionate essays on my morals based on a fictional character’s decision” and ‘thanked’ them for their concern.

The actor said that if her acting ruined someone’s day or raised their blood pressure a bit, then the performance clearly worked “a little too well”.

She signed the message off as “the employee of the script,” which she is since the decisions she’s talking about aren’t actually hers.

What we can’t figure out is who is watching dramas and movies and thinking the characters are anywhere close to representative of the actors playing them.

How would that even work if someone plays different characters in different projects, which one is supposed to be them being themselves?

We can’t believe we have to say this, but don’t believe everything you see on TV and please understand that actors are just acting — it’s literally in the name.

Born just before the tournament, Messi the goat has been dressed in an Argentina jersey as his namesake racked up five goals in two matches — a hat-trick in a 3-0 win ​over Algeria in Kansas City and a double in the 2-0 victory over Austria.

Those ​performances reignited a familiar debate over who is the greatest player of ⁠all time — GOAT, in sports shorthand — with Messi often listed among the likes of Pele and ​Diego Maradona.

Argentina have made Kansas City their base, staying near the Berkley Riverfront, where the younger, ​horned Messi is part of a herd clearing invasive vegetation in a 55-acre industrial area slated for a billion-dollar redevelopment.

The project led by Port KC blends public cleanup funds with private development and is anchored ​by CPKC Stadium, home to the National Women’s Soccer League’s Kansas City Current.

“Baby Messi came ​about when we showed up with the goats up here,” said Kyle Alvis, owner of Goats Gone Green, ‌which ⁠has around 40 goats on site. “With the World Cup coming in, they all felt we needed to have a Messi floating around in town.”

Along the riverfront trail, joggers slow to snap photos as the herd grazes. Alvis said this is the second year of his partnership with ​Port KC.

“They don’t want ​to spray any herbicides. ⁠With the Missouri River next door, we don’t want the run-off. And the people that walk up and down the Berkley Riverfront walk ​get to enjoy a little bit of something besides just concrete ​and buildings,” ⁠he noted.

Alvis, who conceded he knew little about soccer before the World Cup, said the sport is bringing people together in Kansas City, the smallest U.S. city hosting the tournament.

As for a meeting ⁠between ​the two Messis, the invitation stands.

“As far as I know, ​he hasn’t,” Alvis said of whether the Argentine talisman has visited. “If he wants to come down and meet the ​little Messi, we’d be more than glad to have him.”

Quoting comments from a post announcing the score for one of the top 20 finalists, Riaz shared an open letter to her Instagram account, saying no crown “is worth hatred”.

“Over the past few days, I have been the target of a paid and orchestrated campaign of online harassment. Male supporters of a Miss Universe Pakistan finalist have publicly questioned my ability as a judge, sent hate, and even posted threats promising to ‘make my life miserable’,” said the former Miss Universe Pakistan — who is one of the judges for the competition this year.

“A real queen,” she said, “does not encourage harassment, intimidation, or hate to advance her own ambitions”. She said real leadership was measured by how we treat others and this behaviour was contrary to the spirit of healthy competition.

Riaz said these threats were not acceptable and will be met with legal action if they continue. “Online abuse is not beyond accountability,” she said, tagging the Punjab Police and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

“I chose to represent Pakistan with dignity, respect and unity. I will continue to do so,” Riaz said, adding that she would not let online pressure replace merit and that all judging was done “based solely on the official Miss Universe criteria”.

“To every young girl watching: never let someone convince you that bullying is the price of ambition. Pakistan deserves women who lift each other up not tear each other down,” she said, ending her message.

The comments Riaz quoted were from a post from the official Miss Universe Pakistan account announcing the judges scores for contestant Aneesa Sheikh. The contestant is appearing for selection again after failing to progress past the Top 20 stage last year.

Riaz wasn’t the only person targeted either, Miss Universe Egypt Deputy Director Kosh Himal Hewage — who is also a judge and rated Sheikh lower than Riaz did — was also called out.

Josh Yugen, the owner of the Miss Universe Pakistan franchise, responded to Riaz’s letter saying, “The most beautiful crown is one built on integrity. Kindness is never weakness, and respect is never optional. May every future queen remember that true leadership is measured by how she treats others — even in the face of adversity.”

Called the Manifesto Library, the physical iteration of her book club Service95 — which she has been running since 2021 — will open at the historic Livraria Lello bookshop in Porto, Portugal today (June 27).

While this initiative is part of a multi-day celebration of the Livraria Lello’s 120th anniversary, the library will remain at the venue as a permanent feature.

In a press release, Lipa was quoted as saying, “When I founded the Service95 Book Club, my ambition was for it to become a home for writers and readers, wherever they are and whatever their circumstances. Reading the world brings us closer — but sadly, not everyone is in favor of that.”

She called the new library a “dream collaboration” and said that the carefully curated 100 books in its collection were works that “that ask questions or have been questioned”. She noted in the statement that many of the authors of these texts had “paid for their words with their life”.

The collection includes works such as Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Reginald Dwayne Betts’ Felon. Other represented authors include Salman Rushdie and Olga Tokarczuk.

“This library is a shrine to books that have disappeared, to authors whose courage unmasks structures of power and control, and to readers who refuse to be told what book they are allowed to read. You are invited to visit and decide for yourself what belongs on these shelves. Because sometimes the most subversive thing you can do is read a book and then talk about it,” the pop star said.

Books are a big part of Lipa’s life and public image, even outside of her book club. She met her now-husband Callum Turner at a bar and they got talking because they were both reading Hermann Diaz’s Trust. She was also a keynote speaker at the 10th anniversary celebrations of the International Booker Prize this year.

Now, with the release of a report from the UN-formed Independent International Commission of Inquiry saying Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed by Israeli security forces, she has just one question for world leaders: “Where have you been?”

“Did you not see these kids as kids because of where they were born? Did you not think the 20,000 kids that were killed and the countless others under the rubble who died of starvation and other causes that would be so simple to treat,” asked a visibly upset Accurso in a video shared to her Instagram page.

She questioned whether those in positions of power realised the children of Gaza “had beating hearts like your kids”. She quoted parts of the report saying 151 children had died of starvation and mentioned “the deliberate targeting of children”, including an incident in which a breastfeeding baby was killed by quadcopter while inside a tent.

She wondered aloud what the leaders of the world had to lose by speaking up for what is right and asked how they were able to “go to sleep at night knowing you didn’t say anything”.

Accurso has been extremely vocal about the dire conditions facing children living through Israel’s barbaric war on Gaza. Her online advocacy has landed her in trouble with pro-Israel groups who have accused her of anti-semitism.

The YouTuber is a global ambassador for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) and supports their activities in the United States with donations and by spending time with children the PCRF brings to the US for treatment. She’s developed a particularly strong friendship with Rahaf, a four-year-old double amputee from Gaza.

Mahnoor is the fourth Pakistani to be granted the honour and only the second Pakistani woman. Her win comes six years after the last time Pakistan won, Mahwari Justice said in a press release.

The awards, which are meant to celebrate young people’s contributions to development, are given out annually. One winner is selected from each of the five participating geographical regions and out of the five winners one is named Young Person of the Year.

As a regional winner, Mahnoor will receive a grant of £3,000 to help her organisation achieve its objectives. The Young Person of the Year — Ugandan solar-energy pioneer Shifra Ainomugisha for 2026 — will receive £5,000.

Mahnoor’s Mahwari Justice has made it a mission to spread awareness and education on menstrual issues and improve access to care for menstruating women.

The organisation was founded in 2022 in response to devastating floods and focused initially on providing feminine hygiene kits to flood-hit communities.

Since then, Mahnoor has worked on period education, developing a disability-inclusive guide on menstruation and having it translated into braille. The guide is now being produced in sign language.

She was also a strong advocate for the removal of taxes on feminine hygiene products, mobilising 10,000 signatures for the cause.

Her efforts and those of legal activists like Mahnoor Omer and Alisha Shabbir came to fruition earlier this month when taxes were withdrawn as part of the Federal Budget 2026-27.

That’s right, you best get your waffles ready, because Universal Pictures announced Donkey is getting a movie on June 30, 2028.

The chatty sidekick to the franchise’s green protagonist has long been an audience favourite with his happy-go-lucky attitude and witty dialogue. He’s voiced by Eddie Murphy, who will continue in that role for this project and the upcoming Shrek 5 — which will screen exactly a year earlier on June 30, 2027.

The upcoming movie, which does not have an announced title yet, is billed as an origin story explaining how a donkey became the Donkey. It is the second character spin-off to come out of the franchise after a series of films about Puss in Boots.

Speaking to Screenrant last year, Murphy hinted at the film. “Donkey’s going to have his own movie, own little story with his dragon wife and his kids that are half-dragon and half-donkeys… They’ve written this funny story.”

The film will be directed by Charlie Bean — of the Lego Ninjago Movie — and Matt Flynn. Rebecca Huntley, who produced the last Kung Fu Panda movie, will also serve as the producer for this project.

The Shrek franchise is one of the most iconic animated ones of the 21st century, with the first movie having taken home the inaugural Animated Feature honour at the Oscars in 2001. The four films have also collectively raked in $3 billion, with another $1bn coming from the Puss in Boots spinoffs, making it a commercial success.

Weinstein’s third trial in New York state court over an allegation that he raped aspiring actress Jessica Mann ended in a mistrial in May after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

Mann accused Weinstein of raping her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 while Mann resisted and repeatedly said, No. Weinstein, 74, had pleaded not guilty to one count of third-degree rape and has denied assaulting anyone or having non-consensual sex.

A representative on Thursday said Weinstein was relieved by the outcome and believes the charge never should have been brought. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said on Thursday that testifying before two grand juries and three trial juries had been an “extraordinarily taxing ordeal for Mann and that she did not wish to take the stand again”.

Bragg’s office also said it asked the court to sentence Weinstein to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting one-time production assistant Miriam Haley. Weinstein was convicted of raping Mann and assaulting Haley at his first trial in New York in 2020, but the state’s highest court overturned the conviction after concluding that he did not get a fair trial.

Weinstein, an Oscar-winning film producer and Miramax studio co-founder, has remained behind bars since his conviction was overturned due to his conviction in another case. More than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual harassment or misconduct, allegations Weinstein denies.

Originally published in Dawn, June 26 , 2026

The British group of five young women formed in 1994, and the irrepressibly catchy ‘Wannabe’ was released on June 26, 1996, initially in Asia. It shot swiftly up the charts to number one in Britain, the United States and dozens of other countries.

“They weren’t just a throwaway pop band,” Dominic Mohan, a former editor of The Sun tabloid who covered the British music scene at the time, told AFP.

“They were very spirited and they had quite strong messages as well, about feminism and about girl power and about being who you are.”

And he said of ‘Wannabe’: “It’s one of those records, as soon as you hear it you realise that it’s going to go down in history.”

He has curated an exhibition at the Barbican Centre in London entitled 1996: 30 Years on running until mid-September, which features the Spice Girls and some of their iconic looks.

Band member Mel B loaned the leopard-skin catsuit she wore to belt out ‘Wannabe’ at the 1997 Brit Awards, where the song won two prizes. Unlike previous girl groups in matching outfits, each of the five Spice Girls had their own individual style.

Mel B, short for Melanie Brown, also known as Scary Spice, wore animal prints, Posh Spice Victoria Adams, now Beckham, had a bob and dark dresses and Baby Spice Emma Bunton preferred pastels and bunches.

Mel C, Melanie Chisholm or Sporty Spice, favoured sports gear and Geri Halliwell, or Ginger Spice due to her red hair, wore a short, short Union Jack dress and boots for the Brits performance.

‘Wannabe’ with its catchy refrain — “I’ll tell you want I want, what I really, really want” and its insistence that “friendship never ends” — became an anthem for a generation of young women. It has been played almost 1.5 billion times on Spotify.

The anniversary has revived talk of a possible reunion, although the bandmates have not all performed together since the 2012 London Olympics.

“It’s our 30th anniversary, I do think we should be doing something,” Brown told the Press Association this month.

“We’re all talking about it”, but “nothing has been confirmed”.

The women are said to have remained close, with four of them joining celebrations for Emma Bunton’s 50th birthday earlier this year.

A punk feel

In a sign of their lasting legacy, current stars including Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Adele and Charli XCX have cited their music as an influence.

“There’s a tendency, I think, for people to look back and think Spice Girls were really bubblegum pop,” Joel Gray, a lecturer in media, art and communications at Sheffield Hallam University, told AFP. But he argued “they actually had much more of a punk feel”.

The women’s raucous style also made them gay icons, Gray said, since “their loud and proud persona gave a platform to the LGBT audience”.

Both Mel C and Halliwell were named “honorary gays” by Britain’s Attitude, a top LGBTQ magazine.

The group was, however, put together and managed by men: powerful industry figure Simon Fuller oversaw the release of ‘Wannabe’, although the women subsequently sacked him.

Unlike some boybands of the era such as Take That, the group have rarely performed together since splitting in 1998 and going on to build successful careers, such as Victoria Beckham’s fashion label.

All five members sang at the 2012 Olympics, and their most recent performance was in 2019, without Beckham.

Given the ‘Wannabe’ anniversary, “I would have thought that they might re-form … for just maybe a one-off kind of gig or a few dates,” said Mohan.

So far, the group have only announced a T-shirt and a vinyl issue of ‘Wannabe’.

“I don’t think we’re going to see a permanent full-time reunion, but I could absolutely see them doing something again as a group,” said Gray.

“What I’ve learned with the Spice Girls is never say never.”

Predicted to be the biggest-selling cultural product of all time, speculation had been rife that GTA VI would cost players far more than a typical high-end title.

In the end, Rockstar and parent company Take-Two Interactive announced a price tag around $10 higher than the base version in the United States, landing at $80, and $100 for an “Ultimate” edition with additional content like weapons and vehicles.

Six years of development for GTA VI are estimated to have cost up to $2 billion, which had prompted fears it could cost as much as $100.

“If there is one game that can price at $80 without garnering significant player pushback, Grand Theft Auto VI is that game given its massive scale and anticipation,” said Andrew Marok of specialist consultancy Raymond James.

As pre-orders went live on Thursday, the price in Europe was 80 euros ($90).

In Japan, the PlayStation store listed the game at 9,800 yen ($61). In New Zealand, it was listed at NZ$140 ($79), similar to the price in Australia. In the UK, it was priced at £70 ($92).

Pre-orders have not launched yet in the Americas.

Disc disappointment

Fans of the GTA series, which dates back to 1997 when the very first 2D game was released, have been waiting 13 years for a new instalbasrment since 2013’s GTA V.

The 230 million copies moved made GTA V the second-best-selling game in history after Minecraft.

Finally getting his hands on the game “doesn’t exactly feel like a real thing that would ever happen”, said Red Young, a 26-year-old Scotsman who helps run fan site GTABase. It “is borderline a miracle”.

Anticipation was only stoked by successive delays: first from autumn 2025 to May this year, and next to November.

Some players were nevertheless shocked to learn that physical copies sold at retailers would contain a redeemable download code — likely meaning there will be no disc containing the game data.

There were grumbles on social media that the lack of a physical disc would eliminate any second-hand market for the title.

But these days, around 80 per cent of game sales on PlayStation and 90pc on Xbox are digital versions delivered over the internet, according to specialist firm Niko Partners.

Two independent North American retailers, Video Games Plus and Loot Box Gaming, announced on X that they would not sell the game unless a physical disc becomes available.

“The full launch including pre-orders will be the biggest entertainment launch ever… bigger than any movie, TV series, music concert or album,” said Piers Harding-Rolls of the UK-based data firm Ampere Analysis.

Analysts at the investment bank Piper Sandler expect around 45 million units to have already sold when the game is released.

Courting controversy

That should put GTA VI on track to top the record for the fastest cultural product to make a billion dollars in sales, set by its predecessor, GTA V, in barely three days.

Although millions of fans have been kept busy with the multiplayer version GTA Online, the anticipation for a true successor has been fierce.

The GTA saga’s action-adventure titles set in a sprawling open world have immersed players in high-definition imaginary cities heavily inspired by American metropolises.

This instalment’s Bonnie and Clyde-style protagonists will roam Vice City, a fictional version of Miami.

Variety reports the title will not have a multiplayer mode. Developer Rockstar Games was quoted as saying the game consists of “a single-player experience set in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the series yet”.

Each game offers players a huge degree of freedom to either carry out missions that advance the plot, or simply to explore the world on foot or at the controls of a fleet of vehicles — with the option to explode into guns-blazing criminal mayhem at any time.

Story missions often involve illegal activity ranging from burglary to murder and drug trafficking.

The focus on crime has created long-running controversy around the series, with some critics warning about its impact on young gamers.

All of its titles are rated for players aged 18 and over under Europe’s PEGI classification system.

Cover photo: Rockstar Games

The Korean-Canadian rapper was seen wearing a t-shirt with the Confederate flag at a fan event, with his newly founded label Upper Room posting pictures and taking them down soon after.

The flag, which was used by the Confederate States of America during the US Civil War, has come to represent white supremacist ideals and the economic justification of slavery.

Users on X — fans and ops alike — knew this was something he’d have a hard time walking away from.

Seeing the backlash, Upper Room issued an apology on Tuesday. In an Instagram story, it said, “We would like to extend our sincere apologies for the concern, discomfort, and disappointment caused by the vintage T-shirt that appeared in a recently shared photograph.

“The garment was selected solely as a vintage wardrobe item,” it continued. “However, upon recognising the historical significance and sensitivity associated with the symbol displayed on the T-shirt, we took measures to ensure that it would not be visible in any official content. Despite these efforts, the image was subsequently shared externally.

“We take full responsibility for this oversight,” the label said. “Upper Room and the artist unequivocally reject and do not tolerate racism, hate, discrimination, or any form of intolerance. We are also grateful to those who brought this matter to our attention. In response, we will strengthen our internal review procedures for wardrobe selection and content approval to help prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.”

People did not buy it, saying Lee grew up in North America and should have known better.

A user called it “laughable” how the moment Lee gained control over his public image, he pulled this stunt, after remaining generally unproblematic during his time with NCT.

Another said Koreans were sensitive when it came to their own history and expected other people to respect it — as evidenced by the backlash received by Starbucks recently. They said it was wrong of Lee not to afford the same courtesy to other cultures.

Users asked fans not to defend his actions and one even wondered if he had taken inspiration from Nicki Minaj — who has, in recent times, become an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump.

Lee has not addressed the controversy personally, even though some fans are demanding an apology. Upper Room’s statement can be said to be his — he founded the company earlier this month — but many have said that may not be enough in this case.

One of the world’s most reclusive countries, the former Soviet republic adopted strict visa requirements after gaining independence in 1991 and closely monitors travellers.

While this policy remains largely in place, tour agencies in the Central Asian nation have noticed a recent decrease in visa rejections and this year authorities announced plans to expand the tourism sector.

At the archaeological ruins of Nisa, an ancient fortress near the capital, Ashgabat, AFP spotted a Western tour group taking advantage of this tentative thaw.

“I wanted to see what the mystery was about,” said Nick Frey, a 28-year-old US tourist admiring the fortress.

“I think the uniqueness is really what stood out.”

Turkmenistan declared itself “permanently neutral” under its post-independence leader Saparmurat Niyazov, a policy that he used to justify extreme constraints on contact with the outside world.

For 15 years, the former Communist official shaped the capital in his image, ordering it to be rebuilt as a marble citadel complete with a towering gold statue of himself.

Since Niyazov’s death in 2006, successive presidents — Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and his son Serdar — have kept the system in place, along with the cults of personality and grand architecture.

Ashgabat has the highest density of white marble buildings in the world, according to Guinness World Records.

‘World’s weirdest country’

Turkmenistan’s odd architecture and reclusiveness has made it a magnet for content creators on social media, some of whom have dubbed it the “world’s weirdest country”.

“The first thing I noticed was the whiteness of everything,” said Liza Zorn, a German tourist who visited Ashgabat.

“It was the first time in my life I saw white traffic lights.”

Among the sights she came to see was the “Gateway to Hell”, a gas crater that has been burning for half a century and is one of the more internationally known tourist spots in the desert-covered country.

Before arriving, all holidaymakers must prove their tourist credentials and their itinerary is strictly mapped out.

“You have to have your plans organised by a tour agency like ours and everything has to be approved,” said Effie Frank, a supervisor at the Saiga Tours travel agency.

In recent years her agency has not been refused any letters of invitation, essential for obtaining a visa.

“It does seem like it’s getting a bit easier to come to Turkmenistan,” she said.

After visiting Nisa, the 20 or so tourists with her group returned to Ashgabat for Carpet Day — a national holiday honouring Turkmen rug artisans — before visiting yurts and tasting local produce.

Carpets are one of the three most important national symbols, along with the Akhal-Teke horse and Alabai dog.

We are ready

President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, who runs the country in tandem with his father, appears to be warming to the new visitors.

“The country’s tourism industry is increasingly expanding,” he said earlier this year, adding that he wanted to develop international cooperation.

The industry is still in its infancy.

“Firstly, there needs to be political will. Secondly, a simplified visa policy. And thirdly, well-developed infrastructure,” a Western diplomat in Ashgabat told AFP on condition of anonymity.

These three elements are not yet fully in place.

While luxury hotels are springing up in Ashgabat and Avaza, the main seaside resort on the Caspian Sea, the rest of the country is poorly equipped for visitors.

Turkmenistan still relies almost exclusively on gas revenues to power its economy.

The country — which closed its state tourism authority during the Covid pandemic — does not regularly publish data on the number of arrivals.

But Azat, an employee at a local travel firm, was enthusiastic.

“Tourists visiting this country could, with multiple-entry visas, continue their tour along the Great Silk Road,” he told AFP.

He also proposed collaborating with Uzbekistan, as there are many archaeological sites close to the border that are inaccessible to foreigners.

“We are ready to welcome large numbers of tourists from neighbouring countries,” he said.

A law passed last year to introduce electronic visas is yet to be implemented.

The three filmmaking unions representing producers, actors and directors recalled in their joint statement that the advance tax had been introduced in 2013-14 by then finance minister Ishaq Dar “as part of a policy framework to strengthen indigenous media.”

Reaffirming their support of tax reform, the unions demanded that any policy affecting Pakistan’s creative economy “must be preceded by meaningful stakeholder consultation” and called for the formation of a National Creative Economy Policy to address matters impacting the local creative industry.

“Reversing a policy that has remained in place for more than a decade should only occur after a comprehensive economic review and consultation,” the statement said.

The media industry is a source of livelihood for thousands of professionals and their families across television, film, digital media, advertising, music, animation, post-production and related sectors, the unions said, respectfully requesting the government to:

1. Suspend implementation pending stakeholder consultation
2. Convene an urgent meeting with all relevant stakeholders
3. Public an economic impact assessment
4. Develop a national creative economy policy

The joint statement comes days after actor Faysal Quraishi expressed concerns about the proposed policy shift. In a video posted on his Instagram account in collaboration with ACT on Saturday, the actor warned the move would result in local artists, technical crew and other people associated with filming losing their jobs.

Last week, actor and director Shamoon Abbasi also objected to the move, saying it took Pakistan “10 years to re-establish our drama industry” after a prior surge in the airing of foreign content.

“Bringing back foreign content to Pakistan will destroy the actors, producers, directors [and] writers once again,” Abbasi said.

The companies said the initiative will focus on helping artists ​develop new creative workflows and techniques while ​ensuring future tools are shaped by the ⁠creators who use them.

In a press release from Google, Deepmind CEO Demis Hassabis was quoted as saying, “We believe the best way to develop tools that empower artists is to work directly with them. By collaborating with filmmakers and industry leaders like A24 from the beginning, we can build new AI features to support artists in authentic, meaningful storytelling that helps enable their creative vision.”

In recent years, A24 ​has produced horror film Backrooms, Timothée Chalamet-starrer Marty Supreme and ​Oscar-winning adventure film Everything Everywhere All at Once, among others.

Under the agreement, A24 and Google DeepMind will collaborate on ​multiple research and development projects over time.

Alphabet’s Google has also made a $75 million investment in the independent ‌film ⁠studio, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. DeepMind did not comment on the investment’s value.

A24 will play ​an active ​role in ⁠developing new workflows, while filmmakers will retain full creative control, a source familiar ​with the matter told Reuters, adding ​that ⁠the arrangement is not an intellectual property or data-training deal.

The partnership will give A24 access to ⁠DeepMind’s ​research, infrastructure and global reach, ​the source said.

Both actors shared on their respective social media accounts on June 22 copies of a settlement agreement that stated the terms of their resolution.

The dispute between both actors began when Shajaffar appeared on the YouTube show Say It All with Iffat Omar, claiming that a person identified as “Arsalan” had caused her to feel “uncomfortable” on set. She had clarified on social media that she was not talking about Arslan Khan, her College Gate costar.

Butt’s connection to the incident was attributed to Omar, the host, who purportedly said he was the one being discussed.

Following this disclosure, Butt sent Shajaffar a legal notice against “false, baseless, malicious and defamatory” comments, and said her statements had caused “serious reputational damage, mental distress, humiliation and public embarrassment” to Butt.

Butt’s notice demanded Shajaffar “retract the allegations”, “take steps for the removal of the defamatory content”, “issue a clear, unconditional public apology and retraction” on YouTube and “refrain from repeating such allegations in the future”.

Shajaffar, in turn, issued a Rs 1 billion counter-notice to Butt, terming his legal notice “false, misconceived, mala fide, legally defective, and apparently issued with ulterior motives to pressurise, intimidate and silence my client (her) after repeated acts of harassment committed by your client (Butt)”.

The settlement reached by both parties on June 19 said that “certain misunderstandings, differences and controversy arose between the parties, including matters relating to personal statements, communications, legal notices, complaints and/or proceedings initiated or contemplated before different forums and institutions”.

It added that the parties had agreed to voluntarily resolve disputes, differences and controversies amicably in the presence and with the help of “respectable elders, well-wishers and mutual mediators”.

As per the agreement, both parties agreed to put the matter of “alleged workplace harassment” behind them and declared it “amicably resolved”.

“Both parties confirmed that the matter has been fully and finally settled,” the document said.

“No claim, allegation, ambiguity, misunderstanding, grievance or dispute now remained pending between the parties arising out of any incident, statement, communication, notice, complaint, interview, social media content, legal notice or any other matter occurring prior to the execution of this agreement,” the agreement clarified.

Both parties agreed that “All past events, statements, allegations, complaints, notices, legal communications and disputes are hereby mutually forgiven, withdrawn, settled and brought to an end.”

The agreement clarified that it was not to be “treated as an admission of guilt, liability, misconduct or wrongdoing from either party”.

The agreement said both parties were not to “make any defamatory, hostile, threatening or adverse statement against each other” and that they would “cooperate in withdrawing, closing, not pressing or rendering infructuous any complaint, application, notice, claim or proceeding filed by either party against the other”.

Shajaffar told Images she was unwell and could not attend court hearings, so she chose to settle the matter out of court. She said Meer Sikandar — the director of Meesni, in which both actors were co-stars — helped guide them to the settlement.

With additional reporting by Imran Gabol

Ben Hania’s film The Voice of Hind Rajab won the festival’s second-highest honour and received a record-breaking 22-minute standing ovation at its festival showing.

The jury is headed by American filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal, whose psychological thriller debut as a director earned three Academy Award nominations and The Venice Film Festival’s Award for Best Screenplay. She’s also an accomplished actor, having earned an Academy nod for her performance in 2009’s Crazy Heart.

Ben Hania also has an impressive collection of Oscar nominations, most recently getting a Best International Feature Film nod for The Voice of Hind Rajab — her second recognition in the category after a nod for The Man Who Sold His Skin in 2021.

Her last film, The Lost Daughter, won the L’Œil d’Or at Cannes and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Dissident Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat is also on the panel. Sadat’s film No Good Men — part of a five-part series inspired by the unpublished autobiographical manuscript of her longtime friend and collaborator, Anwar Hashimi — opened this year’s Berlinale Film Festival.

Other jurors include Britain’s Daniel Blumberg, Italy’s Francesco Casetti, France’s Xavier Giannoli and Taiwanese Johnnie To.

The jury will award the Golden Lion for Best Film, Silver Lion - Grand Jury Prize, Silver Lion for Best Director, Coppa Volpi for Best Actress, Coppa Volpi for Best Actor, Special Jury Prize, Award for Best Screenplay, and Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress.

The festival’s 83rd iteration will be held from September 2-12.

Cover photo: AFP

The sequel, which debuted over Father’s Day weekend, features Woody the cowboy, Buzz Lightyear and their gang of toys fighting for survival against competition from technology, particularly a tablet.

“This is prime family moviegoing season and Toy Story is delivering,” said industry analyst David A. Gross.

Gross called it “another sensational opening for a Pixar series sequel,” noting that Toy Story 5 had the best starting weekend for any film in the franchise, an estimated 37 per cent higher than Toy Story 4. That will likely make it the second-biggest animated movie opening of all time, behind Disney unit Pixar’s Incredibles 2, which made $182.7m in June 2018, he said.

“Family moviegoing has been leading the industry since it came roaring back from the pandemic in 2023,” Gross added. “A lot of the genre’s success is coming from sequels, live-action remakes of animation pictures, and hybrid combinations.” Toy Story 5 — which returns with Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack voicing key characters — opened on 4,425 screens across the United States and Canada over the weekend, Exhibitor Relations’ estimates showed.

Runner-up in the weekend box office take was the Stephen Spielberg-directed sci-fi thriller Disclosure Day, which debuted the previous weekend.

With an ensemble cast led by Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor, the action-packed Universal film follows an effort to reveal a decades-long cover-up of extraterrestrial visitations.

It brought in an estimated $17m, lifting its total to $78.2 million, according to estimates.

In third place was Focus Features’ indie horror hit Obsession, which took in another $14m in its sixth week out for a total domestic haul of $215.8m, data showed.

A24’s horror film Backrooms remained in fourth place with $7.3m, taking its domestic total to $175m in its fourth week out.

Coming in fifth was Paramount’s Scary Movie, a reboot of the parody franchise, earning $6.7m in its third week out.

Rounding out the top 10 were: Masters of the Universe ($5.6m), Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu ($3.9m), Leviticus (debuted at $2.7m), The Death of Robin Hood (debuted $2.6m) and Michael ($2.2m)

Cover photo: The Walt Disney Company.

We begin the conversation by talking about the TV serial Dr Bahu, which she has directed and is currently on air, receiving rave reviews. I ask her how the project came about. She tells me that, a couple of years ago, the idea was first brought to her by actor and producer Humayun Saeed, who heads the production house Six Sigma and who believed it had the makings of a strong commercial drama. At the time, she had little interest in returning to long-form television.

“I wasn’t doing long-form serials those days,” she says. She had been dabbling in miniseries such as Nadaan and Jurm. But then director Nadeem Baig, who’s also part of Six Sigma, persuaded her to read the script and told her that if he weren’t so busy, he would have directed it himself. “Nadeem kept telling me, ‘Just do this. Trust me.’”

Not just a gharailoo drama

Although Dr Bahu initially appeared to revolve around familiar themes of family politics and in-laws’ relationships, she discovered a far more layered narrative beneath the surface.

“Yes, it is a story about a family and a bahu (daughter-in-law),” she admits, “but there were so many different threads and issues running through it. It wasn’t typical. It was fast-paced and the characters were interesting. I thought, why not?”

Director Mehreen Jabbar has returned to long-form television after a long time with her latest serial Dr Bahu. What enticed her back? Why hasn’t she made a film in 10 years? What does she think about the changing dynamics of the industry? How does it feel to split her life across the globe? And how is age affecting her?

What also attracted her was the fact that it featured a strong female lead.

“She is a progressive, proactive woman and not a goody-two-shoes and nor a victim. She makes mistakes and is headstrong. It’s a blessing to find female characters who are proactive and who have agency. Honestly, it’s very difficult to come across well-written serial scripts and I felt it was worth doing.”

The more things change…

Since she has been working in the industry for more than three decades, I ask Mehreen how she thinks it has changed.

She says that, while the technical aspects of television production — such as equipment, cameras and production design — have improved considerably, there is still significant room for progress. In some cases, outdated equipment is still in use. She remarks, “How we do things on such limited budgets and crew members compared to productions abroad is nothing short of a miracle.”

In terms of content, however, she believes the industry has become less adventurous.

“When there were only two or three channels, there wasn’t this rat race for ratings,” she says. “There was more room to experiment because ratings didn’t dictate content in the way they do now.”

I ask her to elaborate. She points to some of her own early work as evidence of a period when television was willing to take greater creative risks. In the 1990s, she directed projects such as Faraar, which followed three independent women living in Karachi, Putli Ghar, a psychological thriller and Sham Se Pehlay, a story about two older people who fall in love.

“At that time, there were lots of different themes being explored,” she recalls. “Writers such as Bano Qudsia and Ashfaq Ahmed were creating very interesting and unconventional stories.”

She adds, “I don’t think a project should be judged by the number of YouTube hits. I’ll give you the example of a fantastic series, Aik Aur Pakeezah, which is brilliant. It did not get as many views on YouTube as some of the more commercial series, but it was critically acclaimed and widely talked about. So that should not be the barometer of whether projects should be produced or not.”

Payments, she feels, have not significantly improved either. People frequently complain that payment delays exist because advertisers do not pay channels on time. As a result, channels delay paying production houses, which then cannot pay actors and crew promptly.

I ask her if she thinks things could be moving towards improving.

“I think they’re worse,” she replies emphatically. “It wasn’t like this before. I don’t remember begging or pleading for money — for myself or for crew members. Everyone is blaming everyone else. An industry like this, which employs thousands of people and generates so much revenue, should figure out how to conduct its business professionally. There should be a set payment cycle and people should just be paid on time. I don’t know why it can’t be done.”

I think I generally try to stay as realistic as the scene requires. I’m more aligned with the school of thought of realistic cinema — neorealism — so I like that kind of filmmaking…” She adds: “I love one-takes. I feel that sometimes, when you cut, you lose the intensity of the scene.”

The case for realism

I steer the conversation toward more pleasant topics and note that one of the defining aspects of her work has been realism. For example, her characters are never overly made up, and certainly not styled as if they have just woken up all dressed up in the middle of the night, which is still the case in many dramas today.

Similarly, Saba Hameed looks far more natural and less made up in Dr Bahu than she did in Noor Jehan, even though both characters come from similar upper-class backgrounds.

“Well,” she surmises, “her character was very different from Noor Jehan, in which she was the head of the house. In this, she is a victim of her husband, the head of the household.”

She attributes the realism to her team and assistant directors, as well as to her own brand of filmmaking. “I think I generally try to stay as realistic as the scene requires. I’m more aligned with the school of thought of realistic cinema — neorealism — so I like that kind of filmmaking.”

Has her style or how she approaches filmmaking changed over time, I wonder.

“I don’t know if the style has changed,” she responds. “I would say I’m more confident in the day-to-day craft of filmmaking. Having done it for so long, I kind of know where to put the camera and how to make a scene work quickly.”

She adds: “I love one-takes. I feel that sometimes, when you cut, you lose the intensity of the scene.”

She does admit that she is perhaps too entrenched in TV. “When I make my third film, I’ll have to really challenge myself to get out of TV mode and think cinema, which I can do because I do love films, and I think I have the eye.”

Return to films?

I was going to ask her about her long hiatus from cinema but she preempts me. She says her next dream project is to make a film, and she is currently dabbling with a couple of subjects — one a psychological thriller, and the other a social drama.

“I have to decide which one I want to go with. And I want someone to give me the money to make it. While I’m waiting for someone to give me money to make it, I will continue working on serials.”

I ask her why she hasn’t made a film recently. In fact, her two ventures on the big screen were 18 years and 10 years ago — Ramchand Pakistani (2008) and Dobara Phir Se (2016) — but she has always spoken, in her understated way, about her passion for cinema. The reason, she says, is partly practical.

“The movie business is a tough one,” she says. Unlike television, where projects move relatively quickly and payment structures are still relatively predictable, filmmaking demands years of commitment. She also believes films require complete creative immersion.

“A film has to be a passion project. You can’t do a hundred other things alongside it. You have to stop and dedicate yourself entirely to it.”

It is this immersion she misses most about making movies. “I think what I miss about making a film is that you can just drown yourself in that one story. It’s a labour of love.”

This is one of the differences she says between the two media, as a TV drama may occupy a director for a few months, but a feature film can remain with them for years. “A film is a process from writing, all the way to the final product,” she explains. “It lives with you for a minimum of two years, if not three or four.”

Another distinction she draws between television and cinema lies less in aesthetics and more in how audiences consume stories.

“People grow with television,” she says. “Especially long-form TV, where you can take your time telling a story over four or five months.” This gives viewers time to form connections with the drama. Cinema, by contrast, offers no such luxury.

“In a film, you have to captivate the audience within a very short span of time,” she says. “You have to be good enough to make people sit through it and then tell others to go and pay for a ticket and popcorn. The stakes are much higher.”

Contrary to periodic declarations that cinema is dead, she believes the problem is more structural than creative. She notes that there is a renewed interest in cinema, with initiatives such as Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s proposed film city as well as a growing number of institutions training aspiring young filmmakers providing evidence that interest in the medium is steadily building.

“There are a lot of young people who want to build a future in film,” she says. “That’s a good thing.”

But she stresses the need to expand cinema infrastructure beyond a handful of multiplexes in major cities, making theatres more widely accessible. “The biggest hurdle is that there are not enough cinemas,” she says. “And there are not enough cinemas because there are not enough films being produced. It becomes a vicious cycle.”

One criticism frequently levelled at Pakistani films is that they often look like extended television dramas. Mehreen, however, rejects the distinction. “I’m not a believer in people who say, ‘This looks like a drama’ and ‘This looks like a film,’” she says.

For her, the visual language of a film is determined by its story rather than by arbitrary notions of scale. A science-fiction film, action blockbuster or historical epic naturally demands a larger-than-life canvas. A family drama, on the other hand, may require something far more intimate.

“If you’re telling the story of a family in a house, you’re not suddenly going to make it look grand just because it’s a film,” she says. “Cinema doesn’t need people running through forests and singing songs,” she says with a laugh. “It’s all about the script.”

She is equally dismissive of another common complaint: that Pakistani films rely too heavily on television actors. Given the absence of a robust film industry, she argues, filmmakers have little choice.

“We don’t have a film industry, so where are we going to get our actors from? “You can cast a completely new actor,” she says, “but people are more likely to buy a ticket if they see a Humayun Saeed, a Fahad Mustafa, a Mahira Khan or a Mehwish Hayat.”

The passion to tell stories

Despite all the frustrations, what keeps her going, I ask. “Because that’s the only thing I know how to do. Otherwise, what would I do? I don’t know how to make money otherwise,” she says, self-deprecatingly.

I remind her that during our previous interview, a decade ago, she said that telling stories drives her — does she still feel the same?

“Yes, obviously. Because there are so many stories to tell, and so much maza (fun) in telling them. There are so many facets of human relationships and human character to explore — it’s endless.”

And although the ingredients in most stories are the same — love, jealousy, heartbreak — she believes there are infinite ways to tell them, because the context can always change.

“I just love delving into people’s dark, secret lives,” she says with a laugh.

She is currently working on another serial with Sanam Saeed and Emmad Irfani. “It’s going to be interesting. It’s very, very contained. Unlike Dr Bahu, it’s a much more streamlined story.”

New York vs Karachi

Mehreen has long settled into a life split between New York and Karachi over the past 24 years. Broadly speaking, New York is where she lives a more unstructured, personal life (although she does some of her post-production work there), while Karachi is where she works.

What she loves about New York, she says, is the presence of friends who have become like family, and the sense of independence it gives her in everyday life. The city also keeps her connected to a wider cultural world — “world cinema, world theatre, exhibitions.”

On the other hand, Karachi offers comfort, family, and work. “I love working here,” she says. I ask her if living away prevents her from feeling the pulse of audiences here. She replies in the negative, saying she remains closely engaged with Pakistani television, makes a conscious effort to stay updated, and watches the latest serials.

I ask her whether she is a workaholic. She says no, “I used to be, not anymore. What I love to do now is go to the gym. Because I feel more and more, as one is growing older, it’s so important to learn about building strength for later on in life.”

Alongside this, she speaks about a growing desire to travel more and see more of the world. With fewer familial obligations, she feels a certain freedom in shaping her time differently. “As I don’t have a family, my responsibilities, thankfully, are not that many,” she says.

When asked if that was a conscious choice, she is matter-of-fact. “It just never happened. Never wanted kids, never happened. Zero regrets.”

She also speaks about wanting to return to reading. “I definitely want to restart reading,” she says. “I’ve become too involved in video games on my phone, which I play to relax.”

She remains deeply drawn to television and film and wants to watch more of them — no surprises there — and is also a foodie. “I love going for brunch with friends,” she says. She is also a long-time vegetarian, although not vegan. “I love cheese and eggs. I love food.”

As the conversation winds down, I ask her if there is a question she has never been asked but feels she should be. She pauses, then says it would be: “How does one’s state of mind or general attitude change as one grows older?”

Her answer to her own question is nuanced and reflective. “There is more thehraao (calmness),” she says. “One becomes more self-assured and has fewer conflicts with oneself. There is a greater appreciation of self-worth and a tendency to live life on one’s own terms, rather than worrying about what random people think. There is also a humbler approach to life. That’s what comes with age.”

It is this calmness within her that seeps into her work, which has long been anchored in restraint rather than spectacle. That quiet self-introspection, too, feels inseparable from her craft — shaping her not just as a director, but as a storyteller who observes more than she imposes, and trusts silence as much as dialogue.

Published in Dawn, ICON, June 21st, 2026

Cover photo: Stephan Andrew/White Star

In a video posted on his Instagram account on Saturday, the actor warned the move would result in local artists, technical crew and other people associated with filming losing their jobs.

He started by recognising that the government was working to promote filmmaking in Pakistan, “Recently, we’ve all been very happy the way the Punjab government, the Sindh government, the federal government have been supporting our film industry, the way they’ve been making investments and lending support.”

“But something came up in the budget that has left us shocked and worried… On one hand, you’re talking about supporting the industry; on the other, there’s talk of removing taxes from international projects,” the actor said.

He said the “confusion” from the authorities had left many people scratching their heads.

Quraishi said Pakistani dramas had made a place in the world and were popular across a number of international markets, such as India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Azerbaijan and Turkiye. He questioned why we would encourage film imports when our own content was well-received.

The actor went on to say that every drama shot in Pakistan has “at least 100 people” attached to it, from actors to writers, directors, technical staff and vendors. He said if even 10 slots on TV were given to foreign content, it would result in the loss of at least 1,000 Pakistani jobs.

Back in the day, he said, at the very least, Pakistani dubbing artists could make a living from foreign content. Quraishi said even that had dried up nowadays after artificial intelligence had taken over dubbing work.

“The loss will be borne by our own people. It doesn’t matter to me or to other people raising concerns… but there are people who need work and we want all of them to have jobs,” he said.

He requested the government to reconsider its decision in the interest of Pakistan’s people.

Earlier on Thursday, actor and director Shamoon Abbasi also objected to the move, saying it took Pakistan “10 years to re-establish our drama industry” after a prior surge in the airing of foreign content.

“Bringing back foreign content to Pakistan will destroy the actors, producers, directors [and] writers once again,” Abbasi said.

“We celebrate the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of James ‘Jimmy’ Burrows, who passed away peacefully today surrounded by his loving family,” his family said in a statement. The time and place of his death were not disclosed.

Burrows won 11 Emmy Awards for excellence in television and helmed more than 1,000 episodes of hit programmes, working as a director, producer and writer.

Burrows was among the early innovators of the multi-camera sitcom — short for situation comedy — when his prolific career began in the 1970s, directing episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Laverne & Shirley and The Bob Newhart Show. His first Emmy came for directing Taxi, a groundbreaking comedy starring Danny DeVito, Andy Kaufman and Tony Danza, about the rough-and-tumble staff of a New York City taxicab company.

He directed 236 episodes and also co-created Cheers with longtime collaborator James Brooks, as well as its spin-off Frasier. His other hit shows include The Big Bang Theory, Mike & Molly, and 3rd Rock from the Sun. Recently, Burrows took a rare step in front of the camera and starred as himself in The Comeback, reuniting with Friends star Lisa Kudrow for a show that pokes fun at life behind the scenes working on a sitcom in Hollywood.

“For more than five decades, Burrows was one of the most influential and beloved directors in television history. As a legendary director, mentor, and creative force, he helped shape generations of comedy and brought immeasurable joy to audiences around the world,” his family said.

Cover photo: AFP

The Australian actor, who takes on the dual role of Supergirl/Kara Zor-El, joined cast members Jason ​Momoa, Eve Ridley and Matthias Schoenaerts at a UK sneak peek fan event in London ‌on Thursday, teasing an unexpected turn on the big screen.

“I would describe her as a very reluctant hero. I think she’s a bit of a rebel, but she’s got a lot of humility, and I think audiences are going to ​be very surprised,” Alcock said.

Landing the lead role in the summer blockbuster took the House of the ​Dragon and Sirens actor, 26, on an empowering and emotion-filled journey.

“It’s my first film, so ⁠it’s kind of been the biggest thing ever in the world. And I feel like now I ​can do anything because I’ve done something like this,” Alcock said. “It was like every feeling at once, the ​highest highs and the lowest lows. It’s a beautiful sea of bliss and self-doubt.”

The movie is based on the 2021-22 comic book series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, with I, Tonya and Cruella filmmaker Craig Gillespie directing from a screenplay by Ana Nogueira.

It sees Superman’s ​cousin Kara embarking on an intergalactic mission with the young Ruthye Marye Knoll (Ridley), to hunt down space ​pirate Krem of the Yellow Hills (Schoenaerts) and avenge the murder of Ruthye’s family and save Supergirl’s dog, Krypto. Along the ‌way, they ⁠come across Aquaman actor Momoa’s bounty hunter Lobo.

Gillespie said his vision for the movie was shaped by the grit and authenticity of the source material and the unapologetic attitude of its protagonist.

“Particularly for a female superhero, she wasn’t on this pedestal. She was flawed. She was going through trauma. She had issues she was ​trying to figure out,” said ​Gillespie. “And to see that ⁠and have it be something that you can actually relate to, a person that you can recognise in yourself, I was really excited to be able to ​do it in this kind of film.”

For Momoa, landing the role of Lobo ​was a ⁠longtime dream and goal.

“It’s a proud achievement. You never think you’re going to play your childhood comic book character,” said Momoa, adding that Lobo serves as “a little bit of spice” in the movie.

“You get to see what ⁠he’s like. ​It’s just to see if you guys like Lobo, maybe we’ll ​do more,” Momoa said. “It’s the same thing like Aquaman, we start out slow and if fans love it, then of course we’re going ​to service that.”

Supergirl begins its global theatrical roll-out on June 24.

FIFA lauded Japanese fans this week on social media platform X for their “impeccable manners” that saw them tidy up the stands post-game, with pictures of men in blue avidly picking up trash.

Similar images have since proliferated online, but one X post went viral after claiming Japanese men aren’t all that they are cracked up to be.

“Japanese men spend among the least time on housework internationally,” read the post, which has been viewed 1.9 million times.

“Please do it at home,” the post said, with a satirical illustration showing a fan who proudly cleans up the stadium is, in fact, relaxing on a sofa at home, oblivious to the pile of laundry and his wife or mother doing the dishes.

Japanese men participate notoriously little in household chores, with women spending 5.5 times more time than men taking on “unpaid work” such as shopping, domestic chores and caregiving, the Cabinet Office says, citing 2021 OECD data.

The gap is far greater than in Britain, France and the United States, where women spend 1.8 times, 1.7 times and 1.6 times respectively longer than men doing unpaid work.

While supporters describe the act of cleaning up the stadium as proof of Japan’s cultural altruism, others have also seen it as slightly performative.

And opinions have been divided on the viral X post.

“Wives struggling with husbands who don’t clean at all should have them wear Samurai Japan uniforms at home too,” one comment said.

“This is too much of generalisation — not all Japanese men are like that,” another user wrote.

Cover photo: FIFA/X

Khan, who is a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) goodwill ambassador, urged people to remember that “When one family finds safety, we all share in a more hopeful future.”

The star, while undertaking her duties with the UNHCR, said she had met Afghan refugees “who were forced to leave their homes and rebuild their lives from nothing”.

Seeking asylum is “not an abstract idea”, she said. “It is the moment everything changes for a family.”

She said there were refugee parents she had interacted with who were “working every day to give their children a future” and young people “determined to continue their education”.

Despite losing everything, she said, refugee families continued to hold onto hope.

The actor said she had “seen resilience in places where life has been incredibly hard” and how “safety can change what tomorrow looks like”.

Khan was appointed UNHCR’s Goodwill Ambassador to Pakistan in 2019, when she said she was proud to have come from a country that had a long history of hosting refugees.

She joins a handful of Pakistani celebrities who serve as goodwill ambassadors for different UN organs; Saba Qamar works with the UN agency for children while Shehzad Roy works with the Office on Drugs and Crime. Fawad Khan is the goodwill ambassador for the UN Development Programme and Hania Aamir recently joined the list last October with UN Women.

Afghan refugees who sought asylum in Iran and Pakistan have been returning to Afghanistan. According to figures from the UNHCR, over 5.5 million refugees had returned between October 2023 and February 2026.

Her acting prowess is compelling and irrefutable. All she needs to do is step into a frame and the eye is drawn towards her. She won’t be the loudest voice in the room. Nor will she court headlines with regular, viral social media content. She might not play the ‘main lead’, per se, in a project. But in spite of all this, Hajra always stands apart, on the basis of sheer talent.

“You know, some time ago, someone observed that I seemed very calm and asked if I was not as passionate about my work,” Hajra tells Icon. “I said no, I just know where I am going, and I know that what is to happen is unstoppable. No one can get in my way because the big guy at the top is looking after me. I am just, very patiently, looking forward to all the different pieces of the puzzle to come together.”

This was our conversation a few weeks ago. Today, her words ring true, with some of the pieces of the puzzle truly coming together neatly.

Whether playing the unwanted wife, a doomed girlfriend or another supporting character, actress Hajra Yamin has the rare ability to draw all eyes to herself. And it’s not because of her curly locks. As audiences celebrate her layered performance in Dr Bahu, she explains why she would willingly straighten her hair and trade her critical acclaim for commercial success…

In a recent episode of the currently on-air ARY Digital drama Dr Bahu, Hajra’s character, Minna, suffered a breakdown and, without too many words or theatrics, she made the audience cry with her. Social media has been flooded with praise for her performance, with many pointing out that they want to see an actress of her calibre in more dramas and in even better roles.

Throughout Dr Bahu, even though she is not playing the lead, Hajra has consistently delivered an outstanding performance. She expresses emotion and restraint through fleeting glances, pauses or a subtle squaring of her shoulders, establishing her character as a crucial linchpin of the storyline.

She is also starring in two other mainstream dramas: the top-rated Humrahi on Geo Entertainment and the long-awaited Aik Mohabbat Aur on Green Entertainment. Again, she may not be playing the archetypal lead, but when she comes onscreen, her impact lingers.

“I would, one day, like to be the main lead in a love story,” she says, “but as an actor, you have to make the best out of whatever comes your way. So, if what I am doing on-screen today is making the audience pause and feel that my performance is memorable, it is because, over these years, I have been preparing. All this love and attention will take me to better places.”

She adds: “Where I am right now is also a great place. If I had gotten everything early, then what I am doing right now would not have come to me. I did not have the same hold over my craft back when I first started out eight years ago. There were highs and lows but, looking back today, it was all fun.

“It’s so crazy, but when life gets difficult, one of the first things that comes to my mind is how I can translate the emotions I am feeling on to the screen. Ultimately, it is a luxury to get tired while struggling in a line of work that you love.”

She also has the audience’s love, I point out to her. She smiles. “This is something that I only realised recently. It is overwhelming.”

Making ‘space’

The audience’s faith in her stems from the many different roles that she has played over the course of her career. Hajra has always tried to swim against the tide, opting for challenging characters rather than the usual commercially viable ones.

Having said that, with Dr Bahu, one wonders if she is getting pigeonholed into playing the unwanted wife? After all, she had played a similar role in her last memorable role in Noor Jehan. While both roles have been lauded, did she also sense the repetition?

“The basic crux is the same,” she agrees, “which is why I had initially refused to play my role in Dr Bahu. But then, Nadeem [Baig] bhai, who has produced the drama under the Six Sigma Entertainment banner, intervened and told me that he really wanted to see me in this role. I had played Sumbul in Noor Jehan and Ifra in Main Manto Nahin Hoon, and he said that Minna in Dr Bahu would depict me in a new light.”

But does it really?

“The thing is, when I read the whole script, I felt that Minna’s background was different from Sumbul’s,” she replies. “She is educated but lacks confidence. She is patient, but she will reach a breaking point and finally make a decision for herself. I was very focused on portraying Minna in a different way, and then, of course, she does reach a different conclusion.”

She continues: “I also have to give credit to Adeel Husain for giving me the freedom to perform. The first time I saw him act was in Daam. He had been incredible, and I was very excited to be acting with him in Dr Bahu. He is incredibly generous and secure as an actor, giving you room to play while, in a very raw, organic way, making sure that his own character is registered.

“You see, in Dr Bahu, Minna did not have as many nuances to her as Sumbul had in Noor Jehan. I learnt from Adeel how an actor needs to make space for themselves, shamelessly, passionately, regardless of the script. I love it.”

Gravitating to directors

It seems that Nadeem Baig was right: Minna has proven to be yet another feather in Hajra’s well-plumed acting hat.

“Nadeem Baig is someone that I can always trust to be fair with every single character in a story,” declares Hajra. “Although he is a male director, he has a well-developed female gaze. He knows how to tell a story in an extremely sensitive way, capturing details and nuances that even you sometimes don’t realise are there.”

Is this why she signed on to play the minuscule role of Ifra in the Nadeem Baig-directed Main Manto Nahin Hoon? “Yes,” comes the reply. “Ifra’s character on paper was far more limited than what Nadeem Baig made it appear on screen. I think if any director can pull off a script written by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, it’s Nadeem Baig. He told me that my character will be loved, and I was on board.”

She adds, “The drama had such a great ensemble cast that I knew that, even if I was playing a small role, it would be seen, and that is exactly what happened — it was watched by a lot of people.”

We move on to her more recent characters. What inclined her towards Humrahi, which features Danish Taimoor and Hiba Bukhari in a romantic pairing?

“This was the first time that I was going to work with Babar Javed, and he’s a very respected name in the industry,” says Hajra. “I really enjoyed myself. I learnt how to channel my emotions without being allowed the luxury of time. As actors, we need to be flexible because, sometimes, there are lighting issues or outdoor shoots that need to wrap up by a certain time. Humrahi taught me that, with a good director of photography (DOP) and good production quality, a lot more work can be completed without compromising on the acting.”

And what prompted her to sign on to Aik Mohabbat Aur, co-starring Ahad Raza Mir and Maya Ali? “The director, Farooq Rind,” she says simply. “When I read the script, I didn’t see much room for myself, but my manager insisted that Dada — a popular nickname for Farooq Rind — would make something substantial of the role. When I started shooting for the drama, I clicked with him within a few days. He is such a pleasant, patient director to work with.”

She adds, “Usually on TV drama sets, there is this rush to get work completed. But with directors such as Nadeem Baig and Farooq Rind, the scenes being played out are the main priority. When you get a taste of sets like these, where the performance is everything, where you rehearse and where everyone on set is treated equally, you no longer want to settle for less.”

The hair and after

Hajra has straight hair in Aik Mohabbat Aur, which I observe is a departure from her signature thick, curly mane. “Yes, I wanted to try out a new look, even though the director said that he was fine with my hair. However, I wanted it to be straight.”

In fact, Hajra’s curly hair is striking and unique — has she ever considered getting it permanently straightened to achieve a more conventional look? “I have thought about it and, if the director or a character requires it, I am willing to change my appearance,” she replies.

“I really love my hair, though. What irks me, though, is when people start talking about only my hair and not my performance.” I don’t think that’s possible, I tell her.

Commercial or critical acclaim?

Does she prefer commercial or critical acclaim?

“Commercial,” she answers promptly. “I love being critically acclaimed, but I have been there, done that, and I think that some people subconsciously have started thinking that I only want to work in certain genres. That’s not true. As an actor, I want to work in every genre and be seen in every type of project.”

She continues: “I am at a point in my career where I know what I bring to the screen and the impact that I leave. I am blessed that, even when I play a relatively small role, the response is always phenomenal.”

I tease her: some of her peers might find working with her intimidating. Her eyes widen, and she exclaims, “Yes, I have heard that!” She pauses. “It can sometimes lead to power struggles, when people register your talent but still don’t want to work with you. There have been times when actors and actresses have said that they don’t want to work with me because they feel that I will overshadow them.”

That sounds like a blessing and a burden, I comment. She agrees.

“Luckily, I have now found a selection of people who want to collaborate with me rather than dim my light. This is why I have become very selective about the work that I do — I want to only work with people who are secure and want to work collectively to make a project better.”

Garnering praise

It is a testament to Hajra’s talent that even when she is relegated to a comparatively small role — the unwanted wife, the girlfriend who gets murdered after four episodes and so on — the audience is riveted by her performances. Imagine the power that she could wield should channels, producers and directors sign her on for better roles and give her better placement in dramas.

At this point, though, when she is being showered with praise from around the world, social media is rife with comments on how the audience wants to see more of Hajra Yamin. That includes Indian writer, actress and producer Sutapa Sikdar, the widow of late Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan, who recently praised her performance in Doctor Bahu online, calling her “an underrated gem.”

“It’s all upwards from here,” I venture.

Hajra smiles knowingly, as if she’s seen the highs and lows, understood her worth and is ready to take on the future.

“There can be no other way,” she tells me.

Originally published in Dawn, ICON, June 14th, 2026

Merlin’s fame was ignited during street celebrations following the co-hosts’ 2-0 victory over South Africa in last week’s World Cup opening game.

As fans gathered to cheer Mexico’s goals, the dressed-up duck wandered among the crowds on the capital’s busy Reforma Avenue.

Onlookers recorded the surprising scene on their cell phones and the footage immediately went viral online, with fans demanding Merlin be the new official Mexican mascot during the World Cup.

“We are very respectful,” said his owner, street merchant Karla Gomez. “We respect the (Mexico City mascot) axolotl as much as the (FIFA) jaguar. We don’t like controversy, honestly.”

Gomez, who usually sells beverages in Mexico City’s streets with her son Christian and her duck, thought they had not been noticed.

“It was a normal day for us,” she said. “We thought we were passing by unnoticed, because obviously we never thought Merlin would have that boom.”

Now, Gomez proudly embraces her role in the duck’s newfound stardom. Fans frequently stop the family to take selfies with the feathered supporter, who can also be seen cooling off in public fountains.

“I’m Merlin’s mum. I already consider myself as such,” Gomez said. “For us it has been a surprise, truly. The fact that Merlin is the unofficial mascot of the World Cup… We feel very pleased about such a situation and above all that people love my duck.”

Channeling the spirit of Paul the Octopus, Merlin recently tried his beak at match predictions, choosing Mexico over South Korea when presented with both flags.

Mexico meet South Korea on Thursday in Group A before facing the Czech Republic on June 24.

Chase, who was also notably the girl who crawled out of the TV in horror flick The Ring, died from sepsis after suffering from meningitis in a Los Angeles hospital, her manager John Ryan Jr confirmed to the BBC on Wednesday.

He said she had been admitted to the hospital for malnourishment before her death.

Ryan, her friend and longtime manager, remembered her as “not very Hollywood”.

“She loved acting but wasn’t into the fame scene.”

“She was the greatest. She loved cats. She worked with cat rescues with us. She was very to herself, “ he said about the star.

Chase started her career at the age of four doing voiceover work and theatre; she landed her first TV gig at seven in the sitcom Sabrina The Teenage Witch.

In 2002, she played her most iconic onscreen role as Samara Morgan in The Ring. She earned an MTV Movie Award for the performance.

That was the same year she got cast as the voice of Lilo, the human half of the show Lilo & Stitch’s titular pair. That performance got her an Annie Award for Best Voice Acting.

Her resume included single-episode roles in the TV dramas Charmed, ER and Touched by an Angel. Chase also had a 32-episode stint in the HBO polygamy drama Big Love, playing child bride Rhonda Volmer.

Cover photo: AFP

The music video for the song, which released on Wednesday, is shot entirely in black and white and moves between visuals of Gaza and the singers themselves in a studio.

The video highlights the destruction and desolation in Gaza, showing somber shots of massive piles of rubble that once used to be city blocks. Survivors of the war are also shown in the video — people who continue rebuilding, who are committed to living and finding moments of lightness and joy where they are. The visuals seem to tell a story of resistance through existence, of a people who cannot become ‘comfortably numb’ to the war and must keep living through it.

An older, more grief-stricken Waters sings the opening verse from the original, to which Miari responds in Arabic, “After what happened, no one was left. No words were left — what use is asking? All that is lost… Home, oh beloved home. The night fell silent and collapsed. Oh, beloved home, tell him.”

In his next verse, Waters says the cries of the people of Palestine reach him in New York, travelling across oceans. Miari sings of her own dreams of freedom. “Our light will break the darkness. We are the promise of a new dawn,” she says of the Palestinian people.

Both singers join voices to say they will “never become comfortably numb”.

Later in the song, Waters laments not learning of continued injustice against the Palestinian people sooner, “We never know about the Nakba. I was only five years old in ‘48. We were unaware what was happening over there. It breaks my heart I came on board so late.”

He says now is the “Time to clean the slate. Go back to 1948. Before the settlers stole the land. When Grandma’s key unlocked the door and everyone revered the olive tree. And every human life was sacred, everyone, every daughter and every son.”

The song ends with the two demanding “equal rights for everyone, from the river to the sea”.

The song was released on music platforms on June 12, with the music video following a few days later.

Waters has been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, notably facing a possible legal case for his outspoken stance on Palestine Action — an organisation that has been banned by the UK parliament.

Waters has publicly declared the group is “not a terrorist organisation”, for which he may face prosecution in Britain.

At least one ex-staff member at the private London Clinic hospital tried to access her medical notes while she was a patient there in January 2024, The Mirror tabloid has previously reported.

A health minister subsequently confirmed law enforcement were examining the allegation. The clinic reported the breach in March 2024 to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which can investigate and prosecute individuals and organisations for breaches of data protection and freedom of information laws.

It launched a criminal probe into “the unlawful obtaining and disclosure of medical information to a third party” without consent, which it said Wednesday had now concluded. “Following a full assessment … the ICO issued a now former healthcare professional from London with a formal caution,” it said in a statement, without naming the princess.

“The conduct involved the deliberate misuse of highly sensitive personal information and an offer to disclose it for financial gain, representing a clear breach of trust.”

Catherine — widely known as Kate and whose husband Prince William is heir to the throne — spent two weeks at the hospital in January 2024, when she underwent abdominal surgery.

She had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer early in 2024, for which she received chemotherapy treatment. The 44-year-old royal revealed she was in remission 16 months ago.

A spokesperson for the clinic in central London told the BBC it was “pleased our work with the ICO has brought this sad and isolated incident to a conclusion”.

“There were no regulatory breaches by the hospital,” the spokesperson added.

The Mirror reported that the previously “trusted employee” there had been struck off and sacked from their job.

Ian Hulme, the ICO’s executive director for regulatory supervision, said in a statement “people should be able to trust that the personal information they’re giving to healthcare settings is safe and protected from exploitation”.

“When this trust is broken, it’s right that the law allows us to take action. We will not hesitate to pursue criminal prosecution where it is necessary and proportionate to do so.”

Originally published in Dawn, June 18th, 2026